Table mounted cutting tools, such as table saws, are valuable tools used for a variety of tasks, such as cross-cutting wood, and ripping large boards or panels into narrow strips. While there are a variety of table saw designs, most table saws include a base housing structure that supports a table top and a cutting assembly positioned below the table top. The table top has a substantially planar upper surface upon which workpieces may be supported.
The cutting assembly includes a circular saw blade that is mounted on an arbor with a portion of the blade extending upwardly through an opening defined in the table top. The cutting assembly also includes a motor with power train for rotating the arbor so that the cutting blade may be driven to perform cutting operations on workpieces supported on the table top. As the motor drives the cutting blade to rotate, a workpiece may be moved across the table top against the blade to allow the blade to perform cuts on the workpiece.
Traditional table saws typically utilize a single stage gear or belt drive system for coupling the drive motion of the motor to the arbor of the cutting blade, which is sufficient for most applications. However, utilizing a single stage gear or belt drive system often requires that the motor be positioned very close to the table top to provide adequate vertical cutting capacity for the blade as depicted in FIG. 4 (dimension b). The close positioning of the motor in relation to the table top leaves little to no room for other features to be incorporated into or below the table top.